An LDS view on the Bible and other Holy Scriptures

Genesis 1-3

Day 1: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3) , God separated the light from darkness and “…called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night…” (Genesis 1:5)

Day 2: “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters… And God called the firmament Heaven…” (Genesis 1:7-8)

Day 3: “…and let the dry land appear…And God called the dry land Earth…” (Genesis 1:9-10)“…Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit…” (Genesis 1:11-12)

Day 4: “…Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years…” (Genesis 1:14) And God gave us two lights, one to rule over the day (the sun) and one to rule over the night (the stars/moon).

Day 5: “…Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth…” (Genesis 1:20)and God commanded that all life in the sea and above the earth in the heaven to multiply and replenish after its own kind.

Day 6: “…Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth…” (Genesis 1:24) God creates all life on the earth.

“And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created them” (Genesis 1:26-27)

This part is very interesting to me, we all know that we were created in the image of God, right? Almost every single religion will attest that YES, we in fact were created in his image! So why does the world believe that God is a great “spirit”? Wouldn’t God himself have a body of flesh and blood, like us? After all we are created in His image, right? Let’s be clear, that I am not suggesting that God is on the same level with us, His children. He is our Heavenly Father and we must not seek to take his position or suggest that we are on the same level as Him. However, if we are created in his likeness, my guess would be that he looks like us, meaning he has a body, he has hands, feet, eyes, a heart…etc. But His body is perfect, whereas His children are not perfect.

We are his children and we should strive to be just like Him. One interesting part that gets me is where it says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created them” – Does that mean that God, our Heavenly Father has a Wife? Our Heavenly Mother? It says, created “male and female” and just before that he says “Let US make man in our own image”, was God talking to his Wife? Our Heavenly Mother? Now, this is not doctrine of the LDS church, per say. But it is my TRUE belief that this is SO. After all, it would make since that we had a Heavenly Father and Mother! Right?! I like to think so.

God commanded “them” (most likely Adam and Eve)… “…Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28)

This tells me a few things, We have control over the earth… we as humans ARE supposed to USE the earth, “subdue” it and have “dominion” or control over everything that natural has to offer. BUT we are supposed to respect the earth by “replenishing” it. Interesting, if tree hugging hippies were actually religious they would know to use this scripture on people that say they are “religious” that may not care about the environment. Not saying that I am a hippie, tree hugging environmentalist. But I do believe that we should respect what God has given us!

AND GOD SAW THAT EVERYTHING THAT HE MADE WAS “GOOD”.

Chapter 2: Creation Complete: Adam and Eve Live

Day 7: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day… And God blessed the seventh day, and he sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work…” (Genesis 2:2-3)

God essentially created everything Monday-Saturday and then took one day from his labors to rest, Sunday. That is why we must also rest on Sunday’s and not permit that others work. We should avoid having to go to the store, or a restaurant… so that everyone has one day of rest a week. He “sanctified” this day to be a day, we celebrate our Heavenly Father, and his Son, our Redeemer; Jesus Christ.

God planted a garden “eastward” in Eden and there, He put the man that he had created from the “dust of the earth”. God then brings Adam every beast of the field and of the earth in general and has Adam, “name” them. Adam gives a name for all of the animals and life in the earth. God sees that it is not good for man to “be alone”, so God causes a great sleep to fall over Adam, and he removes a rib from Adam to form a woman. Woman, because she was taken out of man.

God commands Adam and Eve to stay in the garden and “tend” to it, and that they can freely eat of all trees and plants, except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 4:24) – God marries Adam and Eve.

But we learn that Adam and Eve, were both naked and were “not ashamed”, therefore we learn that they were like little children, without knowledge of good and evil… they were innocent.

Chapter 3:The Devil Tempts Eve to Eat and She Did Eat

God leaves and Adam and Eve alone in the garden to tend to it, when the serpent (the devil), tries to beguile Eve.

The Devil: “…Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)

Eve:“…We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:2-3)

The Devil:“…Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Eve, saw that it was desirable, and she ate. She also did give the fruit to Adam and he did eat as well.

After eating the fruit they gained knowledge of good and evil, and knew that they were naked. God was walking in the garden, and when Adam and Eve heard him coming they hid themselves. When God asks them why, they tell Him, that it was because they were ashamed they were naked.

God finds out (even though he already knew), that Adam and Eve partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and because of this Satan (the devil/Lucifer/the serpent) is cursed above all living things of the earth.

God multiplies the “sorrows” of child-birth. He commands that by the “…sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread…” (Genesis 3:19) – We are commanded to work, and for our sustenance we must work, no such thing as a “free lunch”.

Adam and Eve are banished from their paradise and forced to the world to work, suffer; pain and sorrow… experience joy and happiness. Evil, good… light and dark.

God said: “…Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:” (Genesis 3:22) In the Book of Mormon, we learn more about what this particular scripture means: “For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated” (Alma 42:5)

So we learn something SUPER IMPORTANT, if God would have allowed Adam and Eve to live in the Garden of Eden, they would have NEVER experience JOY or HAPPINESS! Because how can you feel joy, without knowing what pain is? OR VICE-VERSA.